1969 (4) TMI 128 - SC - Indian Laws

Summary

Issues Involved:
1. Constitutionality of the reservation of seats.
2. Validity of the Central Government's nominations to the reserved seats.
3. The appellants' right to challenge the nominations.

Detailed Analysis:

1. Constitutionality of the Reservation of Seats:
The appellants challenged the reservation of seats at Maulana Azad Medical College, arguing that it was unconstitutional and discriminatory. They contended that the reservation was not based on any reasonable classification and violated Article 14, Article 15(1) and (4), and Article 29(2) of the Constitution. The Court held that Article 15(1) and Article 29(2) were not applicable as the rules did not discriminate on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or language. The Court further explained that Article 14 forbids class legislation but allows reasonable classification. The classification must be based on intelligible differentia and have a rational relation to the object sought to be achieved. The Court found that the reserved categories, such as residents of Union Territories and children of Central Government servants posted abroad, were reasonably classified based on their unique circumstances and needs. Therefore, the reservation of seats was held to be constitutional.

2. Validity of the Central Government's Nominations to the Reserved Seats:
The appellants argued that the nominations made by the Central Government were contrary to the rules and discriminatory. The Court held that the Central Government, which bears the financial burden of running the medical college, has the authority to lay down the criteria for eligibility and make nominations. The Court emphasized that the classification of sources for admission, whether territorial or otherwise, is a matter of policy and not for the courts to interfere with if it is reasonable. The Court found that the nominations made by the Central Government were reasonable and had the tacit approval of the Medical Courses Admission Committee. The Court also noted that the Central Government had acted reasonably by nominating only nine students and releasing the rest of the reserved seats to the general pool.

3. The Appellants' Right to Challenge the Nominations:
The Court held that the appellants did not have the right to challenge the nominations made by the Central Government as they did not compete for the reserved seats and had no locus standi in the matter of nomination to such seats. The Court stated that the assumption that improperly filled reserved seats would be thrown open to the general pool was unfounded. The Central Government is under no obligation to release those seats to the general pool and cannot be compelled to do so by students who have applied for non-reserved seats. The Court also dismissed the appellants' contention regarding the timeliness of the nominations, stating that it was not raised before the High Court initially and that the appellants had no right to challenge the nominations.

Conclusion:
The appeal was dismissed, and the Court upheld the constitutionality of the reservation of seats and the validity of the Central Government's nominations. The appellants were found to have no right to challenge the nominations. The judgment emphasized the reasonable classification of reserved categories and the Central Government's authority in making nominations.